King's Birthday Honours List 2024 Archives

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My Mum, Valerie Lorraine Hall, Has Been Awarded The Medal of the Order of Australia

Renae Lucas-Hall | 16th June 2024

(This blog post was updated in November 2024) Three years ago, I nominated my mum, Valerie Lorraine Hall, for a Medal of the Order of Australia in recognition of her decades of dedicated charity work. After a long wait, I’m thrilled to announce she was included in the 2024 King’s Birthday Honours List and was […]

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Thanks for visiting my Cherry Blossom Stories Blog!

In Japan, cherry blossoms represent the fleeting nature of life which is characteristic of many Japanese traditions. Their striking beauty appears, lasts for a couple of weeks, then swiftly fades away.

The transient nature of the cherry blossoms teaches us to appreciate and celebrate our time on this magnificent planet. This sensitivity towards ephemera is called mono no aware (物の哀れ) in Japanese. I think this is a very interesting theme and I've tried to weave it into my novels and short stories. You may have also noticed cherry blossoms are a key feature on the cover of all my books.

I try to post at least once every couple of months and I usually write about Japan, especially Tokyo. I will share with you my thoughts on Japan-related fiction as well as a variety of other subjects linked to the Land of the Rising Sun. I also feature exclusive interviews and articles on well-known people who are movers and shakers in Japan and I run competitions now and again, giving you the chance to win signed copies of my books and other cool prizes!

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If you love Japan and the Japanese culture you'll really enjoy Tokyo Hearts, Tokyo Tales, and Tokyo 2060.

Recent Posts

Review of ‘The Shortest History of Japan’ by Lesley Downer

My Mum, Valerie Lorraine Hall, Has Been Awarded The Medal of the Order of Australia

Stylish “Sushi at Home” with Yumi Gomi’s Cookbook

My Cherry Blossom Stories Collection

Kyoto Journal’s “Cultural Fluidity” Issue and My Review of Honeybees and Distant Thunder

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